Two of the most interesting parts of the book occur early on, first when the author discusses how children respond differently depending on whether they're told they're smart or whether they're told they worked hard and second, when the author discusses gambling and Parkinson's medication.Īs much as I liked this book, it did take me a while to get through it once I found it again.From the acclaimed author of Proust Was a Neuroscientist, a fascinating look at the new science of decision-makingand how it can help us make better choices. I've always thought of the brain as the last frontier in medicine, but this book really offers an excellent glimpse into something that is still somewhat of a black box. I don't think readers need to have any particular prior knowledge about the brain, though, because the author does a fantastic job of communicating how the brain processes information in layman's terms. I've taken a couple of 'just for fun' non-credit college classes about the brain, so I was inclined to like the book from the beginning, but I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would. I'm a big fiction reader, not so much of a non-fiction reader, but I requested this book because I have an interest in the brain and its functioning. I say 'to make matters worse', but really, isn't that the hallmark of a good book? To make matters worse, I thought about it all the time in the interim - the ideas and information really stayed with me. It took me forever to find where I stashed it. I loved this book! While getting ready to host a holiday party, in my mad scramble to stow away odds and ends, I misplaced this book. The author has rendered what could have been just 'cold' science into an intriguing journey through the human mind and its direct role in all human decisions, good and bad. This is a book to linger over and ponder. Who knew that the human brain played a role in the 'sub-prime mortgage crisis!' I found his examples relating to why we continuously spend more than we have, individually and collectively, fascinating.

Again, by example, he cautions that while some of our brain functions, which are tied to our emotions, are our best friends in decision-making, other functions of the brain betray us, leading us to disastrous decisions and judgments. By example after example, he counters the belief we can make decisions without our emotions, which he defines in terms of specific portions of the brain and their functions. The author, through real examples applied to extensive scientific research and studies, challenges that notion. With a myriad of examples drawn from all walks of life (the quarterack, the credit counselor, the guy protecting a submarine), author Lehrer challenges our common belief that the best decisions are made devoid of emotion.

How we decide by jonah lehrer